1001 firkanter – om Louis Jensens firkantede historier

Max Ipsen og Rikke Finderup skriver helt bogstaveligt om børnelitteraturens form. I en gennemgang af Louis Jensens firkantede historier (som de kalder for et af de mest radikale projekter i dansk litteratur) trækker de lighedspunkter til konkretismen og påviser, hvilke intertekstuelle referencer, som historierne rummer – heriblandt til Per Højholt og Diderik Skelet

Feasibility study concerning the actual implementation of a joint cross-border procurement procedure by public buyers from different Member States

Joint procurement refers to a situation in which two or more contracting authorities conduct a procurement procedure together. The key characteristic of this specific procedure is that only one tender is published on behalf of all participating contracting authorities. The notion of joint procurement does not automatically imply any cross-border element as such. Joint cross-border procurement refers to the particular procurement procedure which involves contracting authorities from different Member States conducting a common tender by bundling their demands and acting jointly in the award of the contract. There have already been some attempts to conduct JCBPP procedures in the European Union, despite the fact that until the implementation of Directive 2014/24/EU there were no explicit legal provisions to facilitate such forms of cooperation. Therefore contracting authorities faced both legal and practical difficulties, mostly due to conflicts between national public procurement rules and barriers preventing recourse to other Member States’ central purchasing body or the joint cross-border award of public contracts. Currently existing literature still offers only a few contributions describing the use and impact of JCBPP and the limited practical experience there is in conducting such procedures has not been presented in an aggregated form so far. This analysis is intended to help identify the best solutions for implementing JCBPP projects and offers concrete recommendations which should serve as a guideline for all interested stakeholders. The aim of the study is not to assess theoretical scenarios of JCBPP between contracting authorities in different Member States or to offer a legal analysis of factors that can influence the implementation of such projects. Its scope is to practically analyse projects that have been implemented in the past months or years and to highlight how they have been conducted, the obstacles or difficulties experienced by the participating contracting authorities and how they managed to overcome them. Centralised – and therefore “joint” – purchasing techniques are successfully used in most Member States and the idea of exploring a cross-border dimension is generating more and more interest as it facilitates cooperation between contracting authorities across Europe and at the same time enhances the benefits of the Internal Market by creating better business opportunities for economic operators. Thus, this feasibility study on the possible implementation of a JCBPP procedure consists of an analysis of relevant JCPPP projects, including a cost benefit analysis, and draws conclusions based on the main issues which need to be considered when conducting a JCBPP. The results of the feasibility study have allowed the drafting of recommendations for the implementation of JCBPP procedures. The feasibility study focuses on the legal, administrative and procedural aspects encountered in four selected JCBPP projects, taking into consideration country and sector-specific characteristics relevant to the implementation of such procedures

More is less : net gain in species richness, but biotic homogenization over 140 years

The research was funded by the ‘15. June Foundation’. MD was funded by a Leverhulme Fellowship.While biodiversity loss continues globally, assessments of regional and local change over time have been equivocal. Here, we assess changes in plant species richness and beta diversity over 140 years at the level of regions within a country. Using 19th-century flora censuses for 14 Danish regions as a baseline, we overcome previous criticisms concerning short time series and neglect of completely altered habitats. We find that species composition has changed dramatically and directionally across all regions. Substantial species losses were more than offset by large gains, resulting in a net increase in species richness in all regions. The occupancy of initially widespread species increased, while initially rare species lost terrain. These changes were accompanied by strong biotic homogenization; i.e. regions are more similar now than they were 140 years ago. Species declining in Denmark were found to be in similar decline all over Northern Europe.PostprintPeer reviewe

How to engage patient partners in health service research: a scoping review protocol

Background The patients’ and the carers’ roles in health service research has changed from being solely participants in studies to also being active partners and co-designers in the research process. Research carried out with or by patient partners is an increasingly accepted component of health service research in many countries, but how researchers can best approach engaging patient partners in the research process is still not clear. There is a need for guidance to support researchers when engaging patient partners and assess how such engagement impacts on research outputs. The aim of this paper is to present a protocol for a scoping review of published literature on how to engage patient partners effectively in the research process. Investigating this aim implies examining: a) how to engage patient partners in the research process; and b) what impact such engagement has on research outputs. This scoping review protocol is the first to examine how to engage patient partners effectively across different diseases and research areas. Methods A scoping review using a systematic process informed by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework will be carried out across six electronic databases using the terms ‘patient participation’, ‘community participation’, ‘research personnel’, ‘patient and public involvement’ and ‘patient partner’. We will include published reviews concerning engagement of patient partners in the research process in healthcare settings, and exclude studies assessing engagement in treatment and healthcare. Two reviewers will screen the titles and abstracts of articles independently for inclusion, and extract data from articles that meet the inclusion criteria. Where there is disagreement, a third reviewer will be consulted to facilitate consensus. The data elicited will include: author and study characteristics; research aims and findings; description of patient engagement in the research process; and assessment impact. Descriptive data and narrative analysis will synthesize findings. Discussion To understand how to engage patient partners effectively in the research process, the impact of such engagement must be taken into consideration to give a qualified suggestion for future guidance. We hope this review will raise awareness of which common elements constitute effective engagement of patient partners in the research process

Understanding how and under what circumstances decision coaching works for people making healthcare decisions: a realist review

Background - Decision coaching is non-directive support delivered by a trained healthcare provider to help people prepare to actively participate in making healthcare decisions. This study aimed to understand how and under what circumstances decision coaching works for people making healthcare decisions. Methods - We followed the realist review methodology for this study. This study was built on a Cochrane systematic review of the effectiveness of decision coaching interventions for people facing healthcare decisions. It involved six iterative steps: (1) develop the initial program theory; (2) search for evidence; (3) select, appraise, and prioritize studies; (4) extract and organize data; (5) synthesize evidence; and (6) consult stakeholders and draw conclusions. Results - We developed an initial program theory based on decision coaching theories and stakeholder feedback. Of the 2594 citations screened, we prioritized 27 papers for synthesis based on their relevance rating. To refine the program theory, we identified 12 context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations. Essential mechanisms for decision coaching to be initiated include decision coaches’, patients’, and clinicians’ commitments to patients’ involvement in decision making and decision coaches’ knowledge and skills (four CMOs). CMOs during decision coaching are related to the patient (i.e., willing to confide, perceiving their decisional needs are recognized, acquiring knowledge, feeling supported), and the patient-decision coach interaction (i.e., exchanging information, sharing a common understanding of patient’s values) (five CMOs). After decision coaching, the patient’s progress in making or implementing a values-based preferred decision can be facilitated by the decision coach’s advocacy for the patient, and the patient’s deliberation upon options (two CMOs). Leadership support enables decision coaches to have access to essential resources to fulfill their role (one CMOs). Discussion - In the refined program theory, decision coaching works when there is strong leadership support and commitment from decision coaches, clinicians, and patients. Decision coaches need to be capable in coaching, encourage patients’ participation, build a trusting relationship with patients, and act as a liaison between patients and clinicians to facilitate patients’ progress in making or implementing an informed values-based preferred option. More empirical studies, especially qualitative and process evaluation studies, are needed to further refine the program theory